Dave, I have to agree with you. I think it will be just a matter of time and they will begin implementing some reinforcement. Whether it be posts that a human is unable to fit through (i.e. the bars on a baby's crib), or some other contraption.
It has to be very expensive to keep plucking people out of the water.
Some day, we will all be in this chat room answering the question "can you actually look over the rail from your balcony?" .....of course the answer will be "well you used to be able to but.......
Originally posted by LHP:
First of all. no one can "fall" off a balcony.
They can jump or they can "go up and over the rail" but there is no way to just "fall".
I wish the media would get it right.
Dave, I fear you are correct about the stupidity of a few will cause new restrictions for the rest of us.
I can hear the excuses now: "We were just standing there on the balcony doing nothing when suddenly we found ourselves plummeting towards the sea."
And another line from the future: "Can you see the water from your balcony? On our last cruise the safety bars blocked the view but they had installed a 6" square window where we could peek out. The college kids in the adjacent cabin were trying to see who could squeeze through the opening."
Dave, you are so right on that one. Some people will just find another way to get stupid. I agree LHP, the media does need to get the reporting right. These jumpers (or fallers, or idiots) are going to ruin a great experience for those that truly enjoy cruising! These people need to be slapped hard on expenses incurred for their actions!
Slapped hard with expenses for plucking them out of the ocean. Hear, Hear! Just like the bozos that go mountain climbing in December, or any other month for that matter, that require rescue services. People who try to drive their cars through flash flooded streets and get stranded should be billed (if they aren't being billed already). Out of boundary skiiers/snowboarders are another "class" that needs to be billed for rescue efforts.
You do something risky, or stupid, pay the price.
Can we get the names of these dopes so we can flog them?
I was thinking the first cruise step might be closed circuit surviellance camers looking at the balconys. Then if these stuipid or drunk folks tried to sue there would be a video record of them. Maybe they could just start with signs "Video surviellance in use" and put cameras in later.
goin' cruisin' I can say from experence that out of bound skiers and boarders do pay the full cost of the rescue and in certain states fines and possible jail time. From what I do know about rescues unless it truely is an accident (hiker falls off cliff, boat sinks from under you, skier falls and winds up OOB) then usually the rescue party (USCG, Mountain Divisons, Ski Patrols) does charge for the cost of the rescue and fines are sometimes imposed.
Having never been on a cruise before I can not comment on the ease or lack there of of going overboard (wether purposfully or by accident) but if these folks are doing it purposfully (hanky panky on a railing counts) then by all means they should incure SAR charges and heavy fines. If it was truely and accident (railing broke free) then I am just glad everyone is ok.
Spending any amount of time in the water without knowning if you will be rescued or not is a horror noone should experience but if they have and survived it is a life changing experience. You really do find out how insignificant you really are in the grand scheme of things. Secondly you find out real fast that you just became the bottom of the food chain!
As it should be (re:rescues). Obviously, if there is mechanical or structural failure that causes the accident, common sense would dictate (uh hem), and fines and recovery costs to the victim is moot. There is a difference between a victim of an accident, and the idiot who asks for his fate by doing something stupid. I was not on the Princess, so I can't truly say what happened there. It sure smells fishy though.
Linear Mode
